Web of Lies
by Patriot-of-USA
Summary: He sees the Sekirei Plan for what is: a massacre that must be stopped before it reaches its morbid conclusion. His Sekrei fight to stop his resistanse, before it kills him. Both fight to save the other from a future... that is Darker than Black.
1. The False Return

Crossover: Sekirei - Darker Than Black

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><p>01 – The False Return<p>

"Minato Sahashi," as he was now called, looked into the eye of the customs officer checking his passport, and put on that irresistible, insincere smile that brought down the guard of so many others.

The officer looked up to his face one more time, and then pounded a page of the counterfeit Japanese passport with a re-entry stamp.

"Welcome back to Japan," the man blandly acknowledged as he offered back the passport.

"Thank you," "Minato" pitifully accepted.

Narita International Airport was as busy as he had remembered it. People bustled in every direction with the generic friendly voice of an operator announcing varies things over the intercom. Shops were open, selling all sorts of duty-free goods that had the loss of income made by being over-priced. And to polish off the lively scene, sunlight poured in from the skylights that watched over the terminal. "Minato" eyed every action with skepticism. Everything was exactly as it should have been at Narita International… except Narita International had been closed for over three years now.

The airport he was standing in was fake, all these people should have been dead.

"Minato" looked back at the gate he had just come through. He had not even been on a plane.

The armored truck that had dropped him off at the (what had appeared to be from the outside) derelict airport had long since departed no doubt, back to the safety of outside "The Gate."

"Minato" sighed audibly. Once again, he thought with gritted teeth, he had returned to "Devil's Gate."

Stopping at the baggage carousel, he shook his head in exasperation. The act of putting his gear through the carousel as if he were actually coming in on an international flight had actually made him laugh in the briefing he had sat through ten hours ago. But the intelligence officers briefing him were dead set on his "introduction" into this fake world to be as seamless and discrete as possible, lest he raise the suspicion of the local powers that be inside of… whatever this was.

Sure enough, the black suitcases containing his gear came through, like they had just been off loaded from the non-existent plane he had just been dropped from.

"ONII-SAMA!"

"Minato" looked up. The source of the shrill squeal came from a girl he now had known for weeks, but was seeing in the flesh for the first time. The huge purple eyes and black hair, and wildly waving arm were pretty hard to miss. He smiled.

"Hey Sis!"

The girl threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug with a squeal. "Minato" was pretty sure he had briefly seen tears in her eyes.

"I missed you so much!" She cried through his jacket.

"Minato" closed his own arms around. "I missed you too," he replied with a smile.

'_Nice to meet you.'_ He silently thought. "It's so good to be back."

"C'mon!" his sister looped her arm around his and pulled him to the exit. "It's time for some catching up!"

"Minato" looked down at the girl, and for a brief moment, felt a twinge of guilt. She clearly had missed and loved her brother dearly. But the man she was holding onto was not him.

For over a year, Minato Sahashi was dead. The man who had taken his identity, was much more dangerous.

The lively city was absolutely unreal to him. In what was known as the Age of the Contractors, that is people, with powers, this city had been the first casualty.

Known as Hell's Gate, the greater part of Tokyo had been enveloped in an aura that had wiped out nearly a million lives in moment. The section was contained, walled off from the world, and left to decay.

And that was three years ago.

Yet the city he was seeing now while riding the back of a taxi was very much alive. People walked down the street, numerous cars honked and sped on the their way, it was like nothing had happened.

"It's been a while hasn't it?"

"Hmm?" Minato turned to his sister. Yukari was staring out her window too, as if equally enthralled with the city as he.

"It's been so long since you've been here. I bet it's more like coming to a new city than coming home."

'_If only you knew,'_ he grimaced.

"But still…" He heard the frown in her voice before he saw it. "I hope you do still consider this your home…"

The girl turned on her seat to face him. Now he could see the tears plainly. Once again, she threw arms around him and pulled him into a hug.

"U-Um.. Yukari!" Minato flustered.

"You know…" she spoke with a slightly unsteady voice. "Mom and I were real proud of you… going to America for college. I always knew you were going to be a big success one day…"

Her shoulders began to shake. "But…" and now her voice cracked. "You were gone for so long! I missed you so terribly!"

"Minato's" features softened, and he returned her hug. "Sorry…"

"You never even called! Not Once! Or came home to visit!" She wailed on.

Because he was dead all that time.

"I thought you'd forgotten about me!"

Her fit ended with her sobbing into his shirt. He pet her head consolingly to calm her.

"I'm back now…" he falsely assured her. "I'm here to stay."

Sniffling as she rubbed the tears away with her hand, she looked up. "Promise?"

The picture from the news clipping of Minato Sahashi's corpse flashed in his mind.

"Yeah… I promise."

Shopping with his "sister" gave him the chance to test the bounds of this reality "Minato" found himself in. The groceries he had bought felt real. The food they had tasted real. It all felt real…

He just wondered if somewhere back across the wall, the powers who stood behind him were watching him run around the ruins of the city, acting like a madman.

Much like the girl sitting across from him was looking at him now.

"S-So… um… Minato?"

"Yeah?" The boy innocently turned his head.

She looked down at the food spread in front of them.

"I guess you grew a healthy appetite in America, huh?"

Quizzically, "Minato" followed her gaze to the table. Before them lay a simple salad, pizza, veggie pizza, bowl of ramen, bento, side of wasabi, box of rice balls, bowl of miso soup, burger, veggie burger, platter of sushi, bottle of water, tea... and a can of coffee for dessert.

"You think so?" the boy replied. The small outdoor stand had a rather small menu in his honest opinion.

"How are you going to eat all of this?" the girl gawked.

"Well… it was a long flight," he meagerly defended.

She sighed, figuring her brother didn't care if he got fat. She shrugged grabbed her chopsticks.

"So Minato," the girl asked with mouth half full of bento. "What do you plan to do for finding a place to stay?"

"I hadn't really thought about it," was the first honest thing he had said to her. "Figured I'd look around first, find a place close to the University hopefully."

"I'm so happy you got your first job being a teaching aide here!"

He smiled. A job he had no intention of doing. "Yep!"

Yukari took one more gulp of her iced coffee before standing up. "Well I have to go tutor Koji-kun, and YOU have some home shopping to finish. You probably won't find anything today, so you can crash at my place tonight. I'll be back around 8."

He smiled. "Thanks Sis."

She then squared off to him and held up a warning finger to his face, the other hand on her hip.

"But don't think you can just go freeloading! You need to take responsibility now!"

He sighed. "I know, I know."

He giggled at his resigned expression. "Well… I guess I could let you stay…"

She leaned down to him, face to face, with a mischievous expression. "If… you were will to give some kind of 'payment'."

Again, he sighed. "Yukari…" he ran a hand down his face in annoyance.

"Aww," she mockingly whined. "So close."

She giggled as she skipped off, leaving him with the bill. "Catch you later bro!"

He took one more swig of his coffee before throwing a couple of bills on the table and taking his own leave. He was starting to learn a bit more about his "family" than he wanted.

Although the boy he impersonated had been dead for most the time after he had left Japan for America, he inwardly chuckled, he had feeling there were other reasons he hadn't called home regularly.

The address for the realtor given to him by Yukari wasn't much help, considering he didn't know the streets. He kept the main roads, figuring such a business would want a lot of traffic.

He wouldn't get much time to look.

"PLEASE! LOOK OUT!"

The voice coming from above made him look just in time to see something humanoid-shaped coming down straight towards him. Training took over, his leg launching him blindly to the side just before the girl hit the ground. He stumbled and collapsed, the knee-jerk reaction leaving little time to plan a landing. He at least had the sense to tuck his head, letting his shoulder and arm take the brunt of the fall.

"Ugh…" That had hurt.

"Oh my gosh! Are you alright sir?"

Looking up, he now had the chance to get a better look at what had almost just turned him into street pizza.

The what turned out to be a who.

"A-A girl?" he dumbly stated.

A girl it was indeed. But one who was wearing some rather strange clothing. The girl was dressed in something that resembled a shrine maiden would wear, but oddly had a red skirt for a bottom.

Underneath a short mop of brown hair, huge brown eyes stared at him with worry.

"Oh… I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you?"

She knelt down, offering him a hand up.

"U-uh…" the boy dumbly replied, still in a bit of shock.

"HEY!"

He was snapped out of it by the shout.

The girl before him spun around, facing two new arrivals.

"Minato" peered around her.

"What the-?"

The two girls were dressed in what looked like fetish wear. And both looked exactly like the other. The only difference he could tell was in the color of their clothing.

"WE AREN'T DONE WITH YOU!" One shouted.

"This would be so much easier if you just gave up," the other sneered.

Alarm bells were going off in his head. He scrambled to his feet.

The girl quickly stepped in to help.

"Please! Be careful…" She helped steady him with her hands.

"HEY!" One of the girls called again. "You'd better pay attention!"

"Yeah…" said the other snidely. "Wouldn't want you to get hurt…"

The two joined hands, and electricity began to spark from them.

The man's eyes widened in disbelief.

'_Contractors?'_

Forcing himself to focus. He shoved the helping girl aside, taking a stance between the two girls before him and the one behind him.

"What the-?" One of the girls stumbled in shock.

"No please!" The girl behind him pleaded. "Get out of the way."

"Better move kid," one growled. "You don't want to get hurt."

"We'll see about that," he growled in a low voice.

His hand shot forward, and face slowly rising…

To nothing.

'…what?'

His mind focused, calling forth the current of power running through his veins-… that wasn't there.

It was gone…

His body shook in fear. He couldn't call forth his electricity! His power was gone!

"What are you- wait…" one of the girls realized. "You're actually trying to protect her? Pfff. MOVE ASIDE."

Again, the brown-eyed girl tried interfere. "Please! You mustn't-"

"Why…" "Minato" mumbled. "Why can't I…"

"ENOUGH!"

"No Hikari, wait!" the other twin cried out.

The electric bolt shot out right towards them. "Minato" managed to look up in time, shoving the girl to the side.

The bolt collided with him head on.

"AAAAAARRGGHH!" The electricity crackled along his insides, pounding at every nerve ending and sending him into a rigid state of pain. Every muscle tensed, feeling like it was ready to explode.

He fell to the ground, trembling.

"NO!" The girl he defended threw her arms around, covering him with herself.

"Th-THAT IDIOT!" the one apparently named Hikari shouted, a slight panic in her voice.

"We weren't supposed to hurt humans!" the other twin cried as she ran towards the man she just harmed.

"HEY! What the hell is going on over there?"

On the street, a black SUV had pulled off to the side, and two men had exited wearing suits and ear pieces, running over to the scene taking place. "Sekirei may only fight each other," One shouted. "To do harm to a human is illegal!"

Hikari's teeth clenched. _'Shit!'_

"Please! PLEASE! Get up!" The girl kneeling by "Minato's" side continued to wail.

His mind was swimming. The pain had subsided, leaving a numb, surreal feeling in its place. His body shivered from the experience, everything felt tender. He fought back the urge to throw up.

So this is what it was like to be on the receiving end of one of his strikes…

"Heeeyyyyy…." His mind was slow. But he could tell the threat was still there.

"Hey! Are you alright? Can you hear me?" One of the twin attackers kneeled down. Putting and hand on his shoulder.

"Is he alright?" One of the men in suits shouted, running over to help.

"Hey! Come on!" The twin continued shaking him. "Pull yourself-"

"Minato's" gathering thoughts zeroed in on the hand touching him; the hand of the girl that had just hurt him. Instantly, his mind focused, and once more, the training took over.

His left arm shot out, capturing her right, and locking it. His other arm and recoiled with a fist and shot out, clocking the girl right across the face.

She was hit back so hard she would've been sent flying at her arm not been locked up by his. He shot out his hand again, this time, with an open palm. The web of his hand struck her dead in the throat, nearly breaking her atom's apple.

She was unconscious before body hit the ground.

The suited man stopped dead in his tracks. "What the-?"

"WHAT?" The other twin stepped back in shock before rage took over. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU JUST DID TO MY SISTER?"

She flew at him, but the man was on his feet. The girl viciously threw out a hook, which he easily dodged with a duck. He threw a shovel hook right into the girl's rip cage, then throwing a knee into her abdomen for good measure. His other arm reached around, wrapping around her neck and squeezing her into a chock hold.

He held it only for a moment before violently wrenching her neck. An audible crack sounded and the girl's body went limp. He instantly let go, letting her crash to the ground.

Both girls lay unconscious. The eliminated threat ensured only a brief moment of recovery.

"FREEZE!" The suited men with earpieces now had their handguns drawn, trained on the supposedly "weak" human.

His eyes narrowed. _'Those guys aren't Tokyo Metro…'_

"Get down!" One shouted.

"Hands up!" The other ordered.

Ignoring the contradicting orders, the boy bolted in the opposite direction, grabbing the hand of the momentarily shocked girl he had just rescued.

"RUN!"

Both bolted down the street, ignoring the shouted orders of the two men hot on their tail.

"Minato" was gasping for air, much in contrast to the seemingly perfectly calm girl at his side. After a run through a park and doubling back on two back streets, they had lost their pursuers.

So many questions were on his mind now, none with answers.

"You… you protected me back there," the girl stuttered. "I can't thank you enough."

"Minato" said nothing in response.

"I think…" she muttered softly. "I think I found you at last…"

Again, no response.

"My heart… it was pounding so hard when you defended me." He hands rested on her chest, her eyes cast downward with a blush. "I think…I think that you may be him!"

His steps stopped.

"You're my…"

Finally, his body slumped, and he crashed into the wall beside him.

"OH NO!" The girl cried, catching him as he fell.

His heart… it had been through too much.

'_The electric shock…'_

It hadn't lethal, but it must have thrown it into irregular beats. Combined with the marathon he had just dashed through, not to mention the adrenaline with the fight, he had reached his limit. He could feel himself shutting down.

"Please! Hold on!" the girl begged, holding on to him. "You've got to hold on! It can end like this! I… I don't even know your name yet!"

The girl was on the verge of tears. He tried to lift his arm up to reach her, but it fell limp.

It was no good, he was done.

His body gave out, his eyes closed, and his mind faded to black.

To be continued…


	2. Contract

Once again, make sure you have watched the whole series of Darker than Black in order to understand what is going on.

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><p>02 – Contract<p>

_The harder he pumped his legs, the slower he ran… and the farther away she was._

_Even as she shrank into the distance, he could still see those soft purple eyes, piercing him, begging him…_

"_Hurry…"_

_He reached for her…_

And then his eyes opened.

His vision was blurred, but through the haze he could make out someone knelt by his side, looking down on him. White hair done up in a bun, and purple eyes gazed down on him.

"…Yin?"

He blinked, and the illusion was gone.

"Mi-Minato-sama?"

The purple eyes he had seen in his dreams had been replaced with brown ones. It was that girl.

Using his elbows for props, he gritted his teeth as he fought through pain to sit up.

"Please!" The girl begged, gently pushing him back down by his shoulders. "You must rest Minato-sama!"

"Y-You know my name?" he asked.

The girl nervously fidgeted. "I-I…I kind of checked your wallet for you I.D. BUT MUSUBI WAS NOT TRYING TO PRY! HONEST!"

He sighed inwardly. At least she was honest.

"Are you awake young man?" A new voice asked.

Turning his head to the side, he found a woman with long purple hair wringing a rag in her hands, squeeze excess water into a bowl. She crawled over on her hand and knees towards him and lay the cloth atop his forehead.

He shivered briefly from the cold connection. "Where am I?"

"You collapsed in front of my inn," the woman answered. "You body had overheated a fair amount. I think you mostly were exhausted, but you seemed to have suffered an injury as well."

She rose to her feet, picking up the bowl of water and leaving for the door.

"Please," she insisted with a genuine smile. "Stay for as long as you like."

"Minato" frowned, noticing the woman's kimono as she left down the hall. He turned his attention back to the still worried girl at his side. What was with the clothing in this city?

"U-um…" the girl nervously began. "I want to thank you for saving me back there!" She quickly bowed her head in respect.

"Tell me…ugh…" He asked as he struggled to sit up, causing the girl to nervously hold her hands up for him to wait. "Why were they after you?"

"Well you see… I had yet to find my Ashikabi," she sheepishly smiled, nervously fidgeted with her hands.

"Ashikabi? What is that?"

She broke into a huge grin. "It's you!"

His eyes widened in confusion. "Me-? MMHHM?" He was suddenly forced back down, the girl pressing her lips to him.

A fire ignited inside him, and he could feel something churning up towards his mouth. It was… energy? The girl began to glow, strings of light culminating on her back into a ball, and then bursting into wings.

He suddenly felt light-headed and the girl released him, letting him gently fall to the floor.

He stared at her, stunned. "Wh-..wha….

"It's you…" she repeated.

"Minato" stared at her in awe. The look in her eyes was unmistakable…love? She even looked like she was about to cry.

"You're my Ashikabi."

"Musubi…" he repeated.

The girl happily affirmed with a nod of her head.

"Yes! Musubi is your Sekirei Minato-san!"

The thought mulled over in his head for a moment.

"But still…" he ventured forth. "Why were those contractors after you?"

Musubi turned her head quizzically. "Contractors?"

So she had never heard of them. "The ones who attacked you," he explained. "They had powers, some kind of lightening or something," he ignorantly feigned. "Haven't you seen them on the news?"

The girl put a finger to her lip thoughtfully. "Musubi has never heard of these contractors Minato-san, those were other Sekirei!"

Other Sekirei? So there were others besides contractors that had abilities… but then-

"Wait! S-so… do you have powers too?" he asked.

She nodded with a smile. "Yes! My power is my strength! I'm really strong in a fight!"

Not satisfied at all with the answer, "Minato" decided to let it rest for now.

"Who were they working for?" he asked.

"Well," the girl again put a thoughtful finger to her lips. "I don't really know."

He tried to stomach his frustration. For a girl who was quickly becoming the center of a lot of his questions, she sure didn't seem to know very much.

"It's simply what we Sekirei do. We fight for Ashikabi and try to defeat the others to become the last Sekirei standing, for the sake of our Ashikabi. And then… they are granted their wish: to stay with their Ashikabi, the one they love."

"And this… is the Sekirei Plan?" he confirmed. The girl nodded with a smile.

He ran a hand through his head. "This is a lot of take in…"

People with powers… who weren't contractors… as usual, hell's gate held more mysteries than solutions.

He sighed. "Sorry," he apologized. "But I'm still tired. I think I need more time to sleep."

Musubi smiled in understanding. "Sure. You can rest for now. I'll come get you when dinner is ready."

He laid back down and Musubi almost closed the door behind her as she left him alone in the room.

"Minato?" she called before closing the door completely.

"Hmm?" He looked up.

"I'm glad I found you… my Ashikabi…"

He smiled in return and closed his eyes as she shut the door. He slowly breathed, hearing her footsteps slowly fade away… And then his eyes shot open. He was done sleeping, and he was finally alone.

He sat up, and reached for the small bag that lay to his side, along with his luggage.

'Who'd brought that up?' he wondered. The bags were by no means light…

Fumbling inside the sling pack, his hand closed around what he was looking for. He pulled out the small soft case, unzipping it and pulling out a netbook. He fired up the device, and to his half-surprise, he actually received a signal. The small bars on his screen confirmed an incoming signal from "MBI Wireless."

He opened a program falsely labeled "Skype." While it did the same function, calling phones and other computers, and deceptively looked the same when viewed, it was in fact a program that was built with military scrambling codes, jumping from frequency to frequency, making any kind of hack impossible.

Highlighting the contact labeled "Echo/Sound Test Service," he pressed the call button. After waiting ten seconds, he dialed a string of numbers. The generic silhouette of a woman disappeared, and in its place was the live feed of a man sitting at a desk.

"Good Evening Hei," the man greeted, seeming genuinely pleased to see him. "I see you still alive."

"Mr. Smith," Hei replied.

"Minato," had been dead for a long time. But his name lived on, as an Alias for the contractor known as Hei.

"You were right," Hei informed the man on his screen. "It's alive. Tokyo is fully alive and functioning."

The man leaned forward, his eyes widening. "There… there are people?"

"As I said," Minato repeated. "The city is fully active. They seem alive at least. And they…sure feel like it." He subconsciously rubbed the wound inflicted on him earlier.

Smith stared at him for a moment, as if hoping for more of an explanation, but then sighed in resignation, relaxing again into his large, comfortable looking armchair.

"Well… we expected it."

So now they had expectations for the Gate, Hei thought to himself. Funny.

"You're cover is intact." The statement made clear it was expectation, not a hope. Hei confirmed it with a nod.

"What's been happening?"

"I've made contact."

The man raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

"Contractors."

The man rested his mouth in his hand, propped up by his elbow on the desk. "Syndicate?"

"I don't think so," the contractor replied. "They are referred to as something else here," he explained. "Their called… Sekirei." The name still sounded strange to here, rolling of his tongue.

The man at the other end of the video call raised an eyebrow. "Seki…rei…"

Mr. Smith nodded. "As near as I saw with my own encounter, they show the same traits as a contractor."

"Did you engage them?"

Hei grimaced, his teeth clenched as he dreaded explaining what was coming. The man at the other end of the line read his body movements, sensing the impending bad news.

"What's wrong?" he leaned forward.

"My abilities… their gone," he admitted.

The normally calm man's eyes bulged. "WHAT?"

"I can't call on my ability anymore. It's like it was never there."

The panic in Smith's eyes was evident. The whole point of deploying Hei was for his skills. Now they were gone, and they were at a serious disadvantage.

The man interlaced his fingers, thinking deeply. "You still have your fighting skills, and your wits."

His eyes locked up at Heir from behind his folded hands. "Both I have seen in action."

He could hear the smile in his voice, but Hei made no motion to accept the indirect compliment.

"We are still in the game Hei. Your mission remains the same. Find Hiroto Minaka, and eliminate him."

Hei remained stoic for a moment. "What about Yin?" Soft purple eyes flashed in his mind.

Smith's face became hard. "We are doing the best we can Hei. But it will take more time."

Hei didn't look happy. "How much more time?"

"This is delicate Hei!" Smith insisted. "Her mind is very fragile now. The separation from Izanami could have killed her! We have to be careful. We must move slow, but I will contact you when I have something."

Hei's eyes narrowed. "Remember our deal."

Smith maintained a stony expression. "I made the deal." With that, the call ended.

Hei sighed heavily. This was the price he had to pay.

Following the events the last time he had made a trip to Devil's Gate, he had almost lost all he cared for… again.

Yin's body was limp, light as a feather even. It was good thing too, he had a long way to run.

The Syndicate, the organization he once fought for, was now hunting him. Though they had weakened in the days following their declaration of war against all contractors, their power was still one to fear, one that few were willing to stand against. Fortunately for him, he knew of one of those few.

He could no longer fight on his own. He had Yin to care for now. With such a monster of an organization like the Syndicate after them, he needed a monster of his own.

And so once more he sought refuge under the shadowy wings of the CIA.

"_MBI confirmed today that in fact all 108 Sekirei had been released, beginning the Sekirei Plan."_ The news camera cut to a clip of a press conference being held. The man at the podium wore a white suit, covered by a cape of the same color with the collar turned up, framing the wild face and hair of a man grinning madly.

"_It is true!"_ The man cried with a joy, yet still maintaining a commanding presence that held the reporters in rapt attention and the cameras flashing. _"At last the Sekirei Plan has moved to its first stage. One hundred and eight little birds have been released into the world, waiting to be plucked by their lucky Ashikabi. So go forth now! Claim your right to ascend to the World of the Gods!"_

Sitting on the couch in the living room with hands folded in front his face, Hei intently watched the news silently.

The name Hiroto Minaka meant many things.

To the people of this city, it was the name of their unofficial king. MBI occupied the city like an army. It private army of agents (as Hei now realized were the ones who had tried to catch before) had replaced the police force. It's headquarters were in the tallest skyscraper in the city, employing a large workforce that became the backbone of the city's economy. And most notable of all, he was the puppet master behind the show called the Sekirei Plan.

To Contractors the world over, it was a name to fear. Few names were revealed in the hierarchy of the Syndicate, but the very top was well known. Hiroto Minaka was the leader of the Syndicate. As mysterious as the organization he led, few understood the motives behind any of what he did. One thing that they did know for sure, especially in the days of the his declared genocide against contractors, was the he was totally insane.

To the Americans, he was threat to be eliminated. The tensions between the CIA and the syndicate were always stressed. Both vied the position of the lead power in the world of intelligence gathering. The days of Heaven's war and the flashpoint that was Tokyo constituted as pseudo "New Cold War" between the two agencies. But when the Syndicate had declared its intentions to ethnically cleanse the world of all contractors, America had decided the Syndicate's time had come. It had not come mercifully either.

While it had taken a back seat from being the world's lead power, the U.S. had not lost its skill in gathering intelligence. They waited patiently, mapping out he Syndicate, locating its sources of power, most of which resided in Tokyo, conveniently close to the source of all contractor phenomenon and their allies inside Japanese Government and PANDORA. And when the Syndicate had decided to launch their own version of a "final solution," America struck hard and fast.

Their invasion of Tokyo had broken the back of the Syndicate. CIA, Marines, and Delta Force soldiers attacked every known bastion of support and sympathy throughout the city, wiping out the Syndicate forces they found. Their own corps of contractors within their ranks had been invaluable in the fight.

But elements of the Syndicate still remained, most notably, their leader still remained at large. After the fall of Tokyo to the Americans, Hiroto Minaka had vanished. Some speculate he may have run inside Devil's Gate, where none were mad enough to follow.

None… save for himself.

And to Hei, Hiroto Minaka was the target he was tasked to kill.

The Syndicate's obsession of capturing Yin had nearly driven Hei insane with hate. The CIA were the only ones who could protect them, not to mention give Hei a shot at revenge against the organization he had once sworn allegiance to.

And now there he was… right on the screen in front of him… and soon it would be in-person.

"Minato-san?"

"Hmm?" His features softened instantly, replacing his mask of gentle aloofness on his face as he turned around to regard the innkeeper.

"Your tea," she offered with a smile.

"Ah! Thank you Miya-sama." He gratefully accepted. He paused as he took the cup, eyeing her hands carefully. The insides were partially red and hard.

"Miya-sama… did you burn yourself."

The woman looked her hands, her eyes narrowing as if chastising herself for her carelessness. "Just a little, it's all right she assured."

"So," she sat down to join him with a cup of her own, turning off the TV with the remote in her hand.

Hei managed to solemnly glance more time at the image of his target before turning his lighter-hearted attention to the woman before him.

"Musubi-san has explained your situation to me."

"Situation?" He genuinely didn't understand.

"You're looking for a place to live, yes?"

"Oh," he acknowledged. That.

The woman giggled good naturedly. "It can be hard for someone new to the city to find a place, especially a young man still looking for work."

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I'm afraid all my education so far just bring me a debt, not any money yet."

She shook her head understandingly. "Minato-san. My husband and I used to run this place together. He always had a policy of never turning anyone away. So I'm afraid I must insist that the both of you stay. After all," she winked and held up and all-knowing finger. "It's not good for a man to be dragging his new wife all over without a home."

He chuckled nervously… before finally the whole statement registered.

His jaw dropped in horror. "M-MIYA-SAMA!" he cried, holding up a hand in a desperate halt. "I-I think you misunderstand! We-"

She giggled again, clearly enjoying his flustered state. "I'm only teasing now." She assured. "But in all seriousness Minato-san, you still must rest from you injury, and we can work out the issue of payment later. So for now, welcome home."

"Miya-sama…" he rose from his seat and bowed properly. "Arigato Gosaimus!"

She smiled. "You are most welcome." She took their finished tea cups, and returned to the kitchen to clean them.

Alone in the living room, Hei's smile reverted back to its natural neutrality.

Indeed, Musubi was most certainly not his wife. She was his… Sekirei… just what that meant was not exactly clear yet.

'_At least one thing's been solved today.'_ He gratefully acknowledged. Now he had base to work from. And one that no less came with a pit bull of an owner.

He listened to the sound of the woman cleaning the cups they had just had tea from under the rushing water.

He had not bought the kindly innkeeper act for a moment. Her posture, her knowledge how to handle his wound, the cautious look she gave him when they saw each other for the first time...

No housemaid came with calluses like those he saw on her hands when she handed him the tea. He had seen it in her eyes.

That woman was a killer.

Mr. Smith stared for moment at the black screen on his computer, then swiveled in his chair and rose to gaze out the window of his office. His third-story office gave him a perfect view of the Gate that separated their world from the one that was the source of the world's new anomalies called contractors. Below, the streets of Tokyo bustled about, busy as ever.

It was almost as if the America occupation was not there at all. The newly built U.S. embassy that he was sitting in comfortably right now though told quite a different story. Japan had always served as America's platform for carrying out its interests in the Pacific, but now so more than ever, Japan itself was the source of attention.

The Americans were viewed by the Japanese as they had always been: a necessary evil. The presence of their numerous bases throughout the country had been considered nuisance, but a desperately needed. In the days following World War II, the presence of the U.S. military acted as a deterrent against the begrudging enemies Japan had made, which pretty much accounted for all of Asia. Today, they were the force that countered the Syndicate.

The Americans, of course, had their own designs. At long last, they had regained their position as the top power following the fall of the Syndicate. The act done by their own hand of course proved to be a morale booster, but the far greater treasure lay in the technology to be excavated from Devil's Gate.

But before any of that could come to past, loose ends had to be tied up.

Mr. Smith's face hardened as he focused intensely on the gate. Somewhere within, he knew that Hiroto Minaka lurked, plotting his counter-attack.

The madman had had his way for two long. They had let him be and it had almost ended in a world-wide holocaust. The number of contractors throughout the world was unknown, but what Smith knew for sure, was that the casualties would have been catastrophic. Not to mention the loss of their own valuable contractor operators with the CIA and the military. These were assets they could not lose.

They could ignore him for no longer. He had known that Minaka would be insane enough to try something like hiding within the gate, believing none would follow him.

None had ever tried to venture so deep into the gate… until now.

He turned around, glancing at the file on his desk. Hei was indeed a valuable asset to have. Once one of the Syndicate's best, he was now the CIA's best weapon at finishing off the organization once and for all.

It had been a shame to lose him earlier in the debacle with Izanami, but what was important to Smith was that he had returned. For a price of course…

He pulled his cell phone, desperately hoping for a message left from CIA's medical division back in Washington. Though Hei and Yin were both safe with arms of CIA from the Syndicate, Yin had yet to weather the storm Izanami had put her through.

Her life barely hanging by a thread when Hei had brought her to them, it was taking the best medical minds the agency could get its hands on to bring her back.

In the meantime, he and Hei would focus on bringing down the organization that caused the both of them so much grief. It was a rickety alliance now, but Smith had every intention of strengthening it.

There was too much at stake to be fooling around. If Hei and the CIA had nothing else in common, both knew the threat Hiroto Minaka posed. He could only imagine what insanity Hei was destined to discover inside the infernal Gate.

While he could not say what was coming, he inwardly grimaced as he turned his gaze back to the gate, he had feeling it would take all the strength they could muster to put a stop to whatever insane game Minaka was planning.

Mister Smith was a avid reader of the Art of War. The lesson to be learned from all others, as he constantly insisted to everyone, was that all warfare was deception.

And if there were two things Hiroto Minaka was well versed in, it was war and deception.

Fortunately, Smith smiled inwardly, so was the CIA.

To be continued…


End file.
